fruit trees to plant?

[pappa123]

Any recommendations for what fruit trees to plant This spring? Something preferably low maintenance that deer love?

[First-light]

I'm hearing pears but was told fruit drops early. 

[Zag]

7 minutes ago, pappa123 said:

Any recommendations for what fruit trees to plant This spring? Something preferably low maintenance that deer love?

I would look for varieties that mature oct, nov & dec so you have a fairly consistent food source during the season. 

[Robhuntandfish]

We are going to try planting apple and persimmon this spring

[ATbuckhunter]

Plant a variety of them.  They have wild pears that need little maintenance, but its hard to beat apples. You can get apples that drop from September all the way to december. It takes a while to establish it, but once established, it lasts for decades. 

[GreeneHunter]

We planted Apple , Pear , Peach and Cherry roughly 7-8 years ago . Cherry didn't make it , Apples are doing fine  , Pears are doing fine and Peach are doing fine and all are producing and keep a constant crop of Deer coming into the backyard ! Learn how to prune , I didn't until branches broke off and wish I learned earlier !

[suburbanfarmer]

38 minutes ago, ATbuckhunter said:

Plant a variety of them.  They have wild pears that need little maintenance, but its hard to beat apples. You can get apples that drop from September all the way to december. It takes a while to establish it, but once established, it lasts for decades. 

Black Arkansas apple variety is supposed to last well into November. I have 2 planted. Lets see if they make it. It will be yr #2 for them 

[stubborn1VT]

Deer love pears.  I would suggest crab apples though. 

[sbuff]

I've had luck with Apple at the house just have to get them before the deer do 

[knehrke]

Look for named varieties of crabapples, most importantly on good root stock that's appropriate for your climate and soil - I like semi-standard stock so that even if it takes a bit longer to develop fruit, the trees will last your lifetime.

Protect, protect, protect. Don't amend the soil when you plant (no additives beyond a shovelful of composted manure). Do not fertilize the first year. Wrap and staple two layers of METAL screen around 18" of base and bury an inch to prevent rodent damage. Fence using a 10' piece of 5' high welded wire with three metal stakes. And add a 3' square of ground cloth with pea gravel on top to prevent weeds. 

The first year you will need to provide supplemental water is it doesn't rain often enough. Yeah, it takes some work up front to do it right, but after that, it's gravy. 

But if you don't take care of protecting the tree at planting, you're just rolling the dice.

[pappa123]

Thanks guys I’m leaning towards crab apples and pears

[Rack Attack]

How about different types of nuts?  There are hybrid Oak varieties that start producing in something like 7 years, also chestnut trees.  I've started planting chestnuts and plan to give the hybrid oaks a shot.

[suburbanfarmer]

If you want atleast 10 apple trees reach out waffler nursery. He is the largest supplier of apple trees in the state.

https://waflernursery.com/shop/

[G-Man]

There are a lot of late ripening apple available 

This list has few

 https://homeguides.sfgate.com/very-late-ripening-apples-43820.html

You also need to look for late blooming apples as a late frost could do in yourcrop by killing blossoms, a good mix is best bet

As for best trees to plant are american chestnut ( dunstan)  they dont flower till july a d produce bountiful crops when they start producing around 5 years after planting.  Nuts drop early oct.

Hazelnut is a good shrub and produces quickly, but nuts are usually raided by squirrels by end of sept.  

Variety is ket but if you planning on using as a food late season attractant lean toward late producers of mast

[G-Man]

2 hours ago, Rack Attack said:

How about different types of nuts?  There are hybrid Oak varieties that start producing in something like 7 years, also chestnut trees.  I've started planting chestnuts and plan to give the hybrid oaks a shot.

Ive tried the hybrid oaks 15 years now still no nuts my regualr red oak are already producing, i bilieve its just to cold for hybrid in my area.   I would push chestnuts  but like ant tree your planting you nee to protect them from deer a d small game damaging bark

[rachunter]

On 1/25/2021 at 4:14 PM, G-Man said:

There are a lot of late ripening apple available 

This list has few

 https://homeguides.sfgate.com/very-late-ripening-apples-43820.html

You also need to look for late blooming apples as a late frost could do in yourcrop by killing blossoms, a good mix is best bet

As for best trees to plant are american chestnut ( dunstan)  they dont flower till july a d produce bountiful crops when they start producing around 5 years after planting.  Nuts drop early oct.

Hazelnut is a good shrub and produces quickly, but nuts are usually raided by squirrels by end of sept.  

Variety is ket but if you planning on using as a food late season attractant lean toward late producers of mast

I'd like to try chestnuts my apple trees never made it through the first winter. I have a 50'x100' area how many do you think i can put in and do you start them from seed?

[Fat Dan]

I have planted apples, crab apples, pear, and Chinese chestnuts.  Apples are the highest maintenance because insects really go for the leaves. Pear is a good fruit  that is low maintenance but you have to get cold hardy varieties if you are far north.  Otherwise, they will freeze out.  Chinese chestnuts take a few years to produce but I think they are my favorite of the trees I have planted.  

[G-Man]

1 hour ago, rachunter said:

I'd like to try chestnuts my apple trees never made it through the first winter. I have a 50'x100' area how many do you think i can put in and do you start them from seed?

I buy 3 year old  3 gallon containers  25 ft spread is recommended.  I have several.dozen volunteer from nuts now from squirrel plantings , I fence with 5ft 2x4 welded wire and pull long grass in fall to prevent rodent girdling 

Edited January 28, 2021 by G-Man

[surmn8er]

I have grown about 75 Dunstan Chestnuts over the last 2 years from seed. I start them in the fall in the refrigerator until they start to root and then grow them under grow lights until the end of May when I move them outside. In September I plant them and fence them. They are between 3 and 5 feet tall by then.

[rachunter]

44 minutes ago, G-Man said:

I buy 3 year old  3 gallon containers  25 ft spread is recommended.  I have several.dozen volunteer from nuts now from squirrel plantings , I fence with 5ft 2x4 welded wire and pull long grass in fall to prevent rodent girdling 

I put the wire around the apple trees but between the rabbits,red squirrel's and mice the didn't stand a chance.I'm going to wait until i'm up there full-time and can keep an eye on them.

[Otto]

On 1/24/2021 at 7:47 PM, pappa123 said:

Any recommendations for what fruit trees to plant This spring? Something preferably low maintenance that deer love?

 

On 1/24/2021 at 7:55 PM, Zag said:

I would look for varieties that mature oct, nov & dec so you have a fairly consistent food source during the season. 

Just saw an ad in the QDMA magazine that advertises late season pears, apple, persimmon and crabapple.   www.wildlifegroup.com

Never used them myself, but they have late season varieties.  Be sure they will survive in whatever Zone you are in. 

[G-Man]

20 minutes ago, Otto said:

 

Just saw an ad in the QDMA magazine that advertises late season pears, apple, persimmon and crabapple.   www.wildlifegroup.com

Never used them myself, but they have late season varieties.  Be sure they will survive in whatever Zone you are in. 

The problem is their nurserys are down south, though the variety is zone hardy they are not climate acclimated.. look up late varieties and buy.local for best results. A dormant tree shipped from there is ahead of our trees if you cannot keep warm for weeks and take in and ouy side to acclimate it they will mostly likely shock and die.  Safe yourself aggravation and buy same variety local and it will do much better

[Otto]

Yes, I was just on the websites, looking at the zones.  They say safe to zone 5, but I am on border of 4 and on top of a hill with Northern exposure where I would plant.  I am actually looking for chestnuts or crabapples.  Who is "local " or northern that you would recommend?

4 minutes ago, G-Man said:

The problem is their nurserys are down south, though the variety is zone hardy they are not climate acclimated.. look up late varieties and buy.local for best results. A dormant tree shipped from there is ahead of our trees if you cannot keep warm for weeks and take in and ouy side to acclimate it they will mostly likely shock and die.  Safe yourself aggravation and buy same variety local and it will do much better

 

[Cabin Fever]

I wanted to plant 6-10 apple trees this spring as well. Been doing a lot of research into late dropping varieties. Problem I'm running into is finding any place that has them in stock. Right when I click add to cart, I get a message that they're sold out already. Been looking into late dropping persimmon trees as well. 

Edited January 29, 2021 by Cabin Fever

[E J]

Adams County nursery has enterprise apple trees in stock yet. They are a good variety to plant for deer. They have a later maturity and are planted by organic growers because they are disease resistant. Also as a side note the new highly hyped Washington apple cosmic crisp is crossed with enterprise and honeycrisp.